Biden has a new headache: Senator Sinema's objections to drug pricing reform...Sinema ranks as 1 of the leading recipients of pharma industry money!

[basquebromance]

even without the filibuster, the Dems can't get their shit together. you only need 50 votes to pass this bill

Sinema tells White House she’s opposed to current prescription drug plan

The Arizona Democrat joined Joe Manchin in giving the president a wake-up call on the reconciliation bill.

www.politico.com

A Senator From Arizona Emerges As A Pharma Favorite

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has received almost $100,000 from drug companies in the current election cycle, a KHN analysis shows, one of the largest cash hauls in Congress. And it’s only her first term.

khn.org

OPINION EXCHANGE | Here's how we'll lower the cost of prescription drugs

We should allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies, which will lower drug prices for seniors and mean billions in savings for taxpayers.

www.startribune.com

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

even without the filibuster, the Dems can't get their shit together. you only need 50 votes to pass this bill

Sinema tells White House she’s opposed to current prescription drug plan

The Arizona Democrat joined Joe Manchin in giving the president a wake-up call on the reconciliation bill.

www.politico.com

A Senator From Arizona Emerges As A Pharma Favorite

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has received almost $100,000 from drug companies in the current election cycle, a KHN analysis shows, one of the largest cash hauls in Congress. And it’s only her first term.

khn.org

OPINION EXCHANGE | Here's how we'll lower the cost of prescription drugs

We should allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies, which will lower drug prices for seniors and mean billions in savings for taxpayers.

www.startribune.com

That assumes "Heels Up!" is not wheels up and out of the country! I can just see Crying Chuckie try to pass the bill without her vote!

 

[9thIDdoc]

I'm fully in favor of anything that gives Biden a headache. He's earned them.

 

[basquebromance]

 

[pknopp]

I'm sure Booker was on the phone with his benefactors telling them to not worry.

 

[basquebromance]

 

[kyzr]

My money is on big pharma. Bernie and his socialists are whiny losers.

 

[basquebromance]

CORPORATE WHORE!

 

[basquebromance]

The drug plan would save the government a ton of money—helping to cover the costs of the rests of the bill—but more significantly, it’s an enormously popular idea that would make a lot of people’s lives better.

Even Donald Trump recognized the value of at least saying he supported lowering drug prices, though he did not particularly care whether it actually happened. Democratic opponents of the plan have tried to cast themselves as moderates—problem-solvers just searching for a pragmatic middle ground. But in drawing the line on drug-pricing, they’re revealing themselves to be the true radicals.

 

[basquebromance]

Lowering drug costs is such a popular idea, though, that opposing it actually puts these members far out on the political fringe. According to a recent Kaiser poll, 88 percent of Americans support it. It is pretty hard to find an idea that’s as popular in American politics. (Apple pie clocks in at just 81 percent.) Lowering drug costs should be a “moderate” sweet-spot—a reform that delivers tangible benefits to an engaged political constituency (old people, mostly) without blowing up existing systems, all while bolstering your talking points about thriftiness. Lots of Democrats in tough districts are dying to put this issue in their mailers next year; lots of Democrats in tough districts won those races while campaigning on exactly this.

 

[22lcidw]

The drug plan would save the government a ton of money—helping to cover the costs of the rests of the bill—but more significantly, it’s an enormously popular idea that would make a lot of people’s lives better.

Even Donald Trump recognized the value of at least saying he supported lowering drug prices, though he did not particularly care whether it actually happened. Democratic opponents of the plan have tried to cast themselves as moderates—problem-solvers just searching for a pragmatic middle ground. But in drawing the line on drug-pricing, they’re revealing themselves to be the true radicals.

Progs were not going to do that with Trump. They fought him on everything. All of their actions are to their benefit.

 

[basquebromance]

 

[dudmuck]

even without the filibuster, the Dems can't get their shit together. you only need 50 votes to pass this bill

Sinema tells White House she’s opposed to current prescription drug plan

The Arizona Democrat joined Joe Manchin in giving the president a wake-up call on the reconciliation bill.

www.politico.com

A Senator From Arizona Emerges As A Pharma Favorite

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has received almost $100,000 from drug companies in the current election cycle, a KHN analysis shows, one of the largest cash hauls in Congress. And it’s only her first term.

khn.org

OPINION EXCHANGE | Here's how we'll lower the cost of prescription drugs

We should allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies, which will lower drug prices for seniors and mean billions in savings for taxpayers.

www.startribune.com

 

[Meister]

With all the corruption with government and this administration, screw it, this time
the People won.

 

[kyzr]

With all the corruption with government and this administration, screw it, this time
the People won.

HUH?? Please explain your scorecard. I have the crooks ahead...

 

[BluesLegend]

When will Bernie stand up to the greed of big higher education enslaving young people to student loan debt the size of a home mortgage?

 

[kyzr]

Lowering drug costs is such a popular idea, though, that opposing it actually puts these members far out on the political fringe. According to a recent Kaiser poll, 88 percent of Americans support it. It is pretty hard to find an idea that’s as popular in American politics. (Apple pie clocks in at just 81 percent.) Lowering drug costs should be a “moderate” sweet-spot—a reform that delivers tangible benefits to an engaged political constituency (old people, mostly) without blowing up existing systems, all while bolstering your talking points about thriftiness. Lots of Democrats in tough districts are dying to put this issue in their mailers next year; lots of Democrats in tough districts won those races while campaigning on exactly this.

Trump lowered drug prices, why can't Xiden?

Trump signs series of executive orders aimed at lowering drug costs

The orders, which are subject to regulatory review, are designed to bring U.S. drug prices at least on par with their costs overseas.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Meister]

HUH?? Please explain your scorecard. I have the crooks ahead...

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

 

[basquebromance]

Sanders blames centrist opposition on drug industry donations

The progressive senator held a second press conference this week and criticized moderates who are holding up Democrats’ broad social spending bill.

www.politico.com

money quote from Bernie:

“Take a hard look at those people who are opposed to strong legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and take a look at their campaign finance reports,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said during a briefing with reporters. “See where they get their money, how many of them get their money from the pharmaceutical industry and the executives there. And I think there will be a direct correlation.“

“I am going to fight for the strongest piece of legislation that we can,” Sanders said, when asked what he could ultimately accept on drug pricing. “I think I’m going to begin calling out some of those members of Congress.”

"The Vermont Independent’s comments come after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), a key Senate centrist, told the White House that she‘s opposed to the drug pricing proposals drafted by House Democrats, which could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help finance Biden‘s party-line bill. A number of House moderates — most of whom have received substantial donations from the pharmaceutical industry and represent districts where drug companies employ thousands of people — also say they’re concerned about the bill’s impact on the development of new cures and therapies, echoing arguments the industry itself is pushing in ad campaigns."

Manchin has expressed support for drug pricing reform, praising the idea when protesters recently kayaked up to his house boat. But he has has repeatedly said he’ll only accept a price tag of $1.5 trillion for the bill, or $2 trillion less than the figure House and Senate Democrats have worked with for months.

“It makes no sense at all that we don’t go out and negotiate,” Manchin told reporters this week on drug pricing. “The [Department of Veterans Affairs] does a tremendous job at it. Medicaid does it. Why doesn’t Medicare?”

Sanders held another press conference on Wednesday to scold both Manchin and Sinema for holding up the party-line spending bill. He echoed a lot of the same frustration on Friday, refusing to engage on questions about slashing the overall price tag of the legislation or shrinking its size to appease moderates

When asked if he should sit down with the two centrists to work things out, Sanders said, “This is not a movie.”

“I’m not here to attack them or question their motives or anything else,” he said. “Manchin’s views, I know, are different than mine.”

“But the point that I’m trying to make … It is simply not fair, not right, that one or two people say, ‘My way or the highway,‘” he added.

 

[basquebromance]

I cringe at the idea that Americans would ever pay more than other countries for an identical drug. I just think that’s outrageous